Annunciator



June 4, 1929.

L. SCRIVEN ANNUNCIATOR Fiied Feb. 21, 1924 I N V EN TOR. LEW/.5 5cmVE/V.

Z? ATTORNEY.

LEWIS soRIvEN, or BROOKLYN, NEW YOR Patented J une 1929.

QANNUNCIATOR.

- Application filed Febr ary 21, 1924.. Serial No. 694,344;

} 3 i ff 51,215,519

This invention relates to annunciators and similar apparatus and moreparticularly to electrical operating means for such apparatus. v

V Inthe usual commercial types of annunciators, an annunciating, targetisso arranged and controlled that it is locked in announcing and insilent position by means of 'I an electrically controlled lock or catch:and

is prevented from moving out of such position until the lock or catch isreleased.

I When the catch is released, .the target is moved into announcingposition by electric means associatedflwith the catch device. Thisarrangement not only renders the mechanism complex, and correspondinglyeX-' pensive, but the mechanism also tends to chatter when used withalternating current, owing to the vibration of the lock or catch deviceand the other mechanism as the magnetic field changes-with thealternations of current v I These disadvantages and defects are obviatedby my present invention, an object 'of which is to. provide" a mechanismwhich will operate equally well and noiselesslywith;

' f1s so proportioned and mounted that it is either alternating ordirect current. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensiveannunciator operatingmechanism in which the annunciator target is movedto, and retained in, its positions Without the use of a locking means.Further objects 'of the invention are, to provide an electric operatingmeans for annunciators which may be very efficiently operated with-aminimum of current, and to provide a mechanism in which the magneticflux produced by an energizing current may be brought to act on atilting or moving armature Without loss or diminution and withoutcausing end thrusts on. the armature bearings.

WVith these and other objects in View, the

invention comprises the mechanism described and'set forth in thefollowing specification and claims. 7 g I l Y The various features oftheinvention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: r

ing shown in announcing position'in full llnes and in withdrawn orsilent position 1n brokenllnes,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an. annuir, I ciator drop embodying aform of myin-x ventionythe target of the mechanism be- F ig.'2 is asectional view of the annunciator taken on line 2 -2 of Fig. 3, V r

Fig. 3 isa plan view of the anunciator drop, 5

Fig. 4: is a sectional view of the annunciator taken on line ofFig. 2,and,

Fig. 5 is'a diagram of, a wiring arrangementillustrating an installationof .the annunciator. g l y In my present nvention,the core of anelectromagnet for actuatingan annunciator drop or target is mounted inan iron frame which serves to conductthe entire magnetic flux of theelectromagnet from one end, of the coreof the magnet to wlithin a shortdistance. of the other end, forming in the short spacefbetween the frameand the end of'the core, an air gap and magnetic'field throughwhichsubstantially the entire mag netic flux of the electromagnetpasses. A

tilting armature,carrying an annunciator target, isso pivotedon theframe that it' is attracted and drawn into, the air gap by theattraction of the magneticfield and is thereby tilted to bring thetarget into 1 view or into announcing position; Thearmatureoverbalance'd on itspivot and when itscenter of gravity passes over the'centerline chanical device or an electromagnet similar to the actuatingmagent but actingon the 0pposite end of the armature. When reset,

the. armature, remains in position until positively actuated bytheelectromagnet; Besides acting as a flux conductor, and support forthe ele'ctromagnet cores and armature,

the frame may also'support astop for the armature, a card holder and;other devices: Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings,an actuating elec tromagnet 10 is provided with. a core-7, 12,

I which is mounted at one end on, and n direct .or close contact with,the rear endlt of a supporting frame "16, of magnetic material such asiron. The frame 16 extends, at

18, at one side ofthe'electromagnet 10, to a front wall or member20extending in front f of, and spaced slightlyfrom, the front end ofthe-core .12 to form a shortair gap therewith' The frame thus serves-toconduct the magnetic flux fromji the rear end diminishedintensity acrossthe air. gap,'

of the core 12 to within a short distance of its front end, from whichit passeswith uncreating therein a magnetic field of the maximumstrength from a given amount of electric energy.

\Vhen the electromagnet is energized.

and a magnetic field formed in the air gap 22, it tends to drawdownwardly into this field an arm 24 of an armature 26mounted on a rockshaft or pintle 28 extending between the front and rear ends 14 and theframe 16. Tofacilitate the action of the magnetic field, the end of thearmature arm 24; is provided with a depending tail 30 which extendsinto, or to the edge of, the

magnetic field of the air gap 22 and increases in width up to the mainportion of the arm 24,- which 'is widened, as at 32, to correspond withthe area of the air gap.

QVVhen the armature has reached its-proper position in the air gap 22,further movement is prevented by stop 3 f, mounted on the front end ofthe frame below-the armature, onwhich the lower edge of the armature andthe inner edge of the tail rest when the armature reaches its" properannouncing position.

To'reduce the resistance in the magnetic circuit toa minimui n, thewidth of the air g gap 22' is made just sufficient to'permittheinsertion with sufficient clearance, of the armature arm 24 and tail 30.As all of the 'magnet-ic flux of the electromagnet is conducted throughthe frame without diminution or divlsion, the magnetic attraction between the front face of the armature and the frontend of the frame isequal to that between the rear face of the armature and the front end ofthe core. These forces,

therefore, which act longitudinally or axially on the armature, arebalanced and all rend thrusts on the armature bearmgs are I renderstheaction of the 'elect-romagnet's' eliminated. Through this arrangementthe frictional resistance to the tilting of the armature is greatlylessened, which,together with the strengthening of the tilting forcevery efficient. 1 1

, An upright arm or standard 36 1s mounted centrally, and preferablyintegrally, on

i the armature '26 and carries at its upper end r to thepivotal-supporton the shaft28 and, accordingly, as the arm 36 moves to one side ortheother of the vertical line 44l atarget 88 so positioned as'to comeinto View as the armature is tilted into the an-- nouncingposition asindicated in Fig. 2.

'lThe upright 36 is preferably offset forwardly,to bring the target moreprominently into view. The armature 26, upright 36, and

target 38 are so proportioned that they are ina state of unstableequilibrium relative through the axis of the pivot, the target tends tofall further from the center line nets by means of-lead' wires 70.contact jacks 172, and lead wires 74 are pro 76 for The armature andtarget may be reset by any suitable mechanical means or by a secondelectromagnetism positioned on the.

opposite side of the shaft 28in a manner similar to that of theelectromagnet v 1(),"the

frame, in this case, havingaj'suitable side extension 42 and rear face-14, the electro' magnet and core'being so proportionedas to form asuitable air gap e6 into which the opposite arm 48 of the armature 26may tilt when the e'lectromagnet 40 is energized.

The arm 48 is-provided with a tail 50 and 1 an enlarged portion52similar to the tail- 30 and enlarged portion ,32 of'thearm 24',

and is otherwise symmetrical with the arm 24 so that, as the target 38swings pastthe center line 44,-

will "continue tov move until, the lower edge of the arm 48 reaches thestop 3% The frame 16 is mounted at its rear-end on asuporting plate 54'by'mea'ns of'screws .56, whlch also serve to secure the cores of theelectromagnets 1Oand 40 inthefra'me. The rock shaft 28 is supported in abearing opening 58 inthe frontwall 2O oft-he frame, in which asteppedneckportioh 60 of vthe shaft projects, and an aligned opening 62 "in theplate"5.4:,.a brass plate 64 being in :serted between the coned end ofthe shaft and the opening 62 and udented into the,

opening 62Ito form a suitable bearing.

Current 1s conducted to and-from the electromagnet 10 through suitablecontact' jacks 66 mounted on a depending portion, ofinsulating-material, of the rear washer 68' of the electromagnet, andconnected to themag Similar videdon a depending. collar member the resetelectromagnet40.

A card holder'TS may be :mounted on the front end ofxthe frame lG'bymeans of a bracket 80 to hold a carddndicating the number of theannunciator drop or other suitable deslgn-atlon.

An example of the manner in which the annunciator may-be usedi'si-ndicated in Fig. 5. In this case the electromagnets 10 ofannunciator drops 82, 83, and 845 are connected through respective leadwires 86, 87, and88 and respective switches or push buttons, not shown,and a main -89, to one"ter-. minal of a-source of electric energy 90;,The.

currentisupplied to the electromagnets -10'is returned to a commonmainor'bus bar .91

and-from'this wire through a lead Wire. 92,

buzzer.93,and lead wire 94, to a mainlor bus bar 95 connected to theoppositeterminal of the source of electric energy 90 by means of aconductor 96. To ensure a stead'ycurrent for the electrogmagnets a shunt97 of suitable resistance is placed about the buz- Zei 93 betweenthewires 92 and 94.

One end of the reset electromagnets 4:0 is connected to the bus bar 95and the other. terminal to the opposite terminal or pole of the sourceof'electric energy 90 through lead wires 98 to amain or bus bar 99 andthence through a conductor 100 and reset key or switch 101. i

As the frame 16 is made of soft iron, it changes or reversesits-magnetism very rapidly with alternations in'current in theelectromagnets and there is a substantially steady field in the air gap22. The armature 241 is drawn into this magnetic field with equal forceregardless of the polarity of the field and therefore independently ofthe type of current used in the electromagnet coils. As the entire fluxof the electromagnets is concentrated in this air gap 22, a veryeffective and efficient utilization of the current is obtained and avery small current may be successfully employed.

As there are no moving parts other than 1 I the armature and partsmoving with it,

there is no noise or'buzzing sounds when the target is resetelectrically, nor. is there any movement of the mechanism when current'is sent. throughthe electromagnet 10 when the drop is in announcingposition.

As changes of construction could be made within the scope of my1nvent1on,-1t 1s desired that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpretedas illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is: V i, .1. A device of the type described whichcomprises, a frame ofmagnetic material, an

electromagnet and core mounted on said frame, said frame forming anundivlded magnetic circuit for the flux of said electro- I magneticcircuit magnet and forming an air gap with one end of said core throughwhich substantially the entire flux of said elcctromagnet flows, apivoted armature havlng a portion adapt-' ed to swing into and out ofsaid gap and a target mounted on said armature.

2. A device of the type described which comprises, a frame of magneticmaterlal, an electromagnet and core mounted 1n said said frame formingan undivided frame A for the flux of said electromagnet and forming anair gap with one end of said core through which substantlally the entireflux of said electromagnet flows, a" pivoted armature having tail piecestargetmounted on said armature 3. A device of the type described whichadapted to extend into said air gap and a comprises, a frameofmagnetic-material, an 7 I electromagnet 1 and core mounted in saidframe, said frame forming a magnetic cir'- cuit for the undivided. fluxof said electromagnet from one end of saidco r'e'to within a short spaceof the-oppositeend of said core andforming an air gap therewith, a

pivoted armature-adapted totilt into said" air gap,'an'd a targetmounted on said armae pivotal support frame, said fr'ame forming amagnetic cir- Y cuit for the undivided flux of said electromagnet fromone end of said core to within a short space of the opposite end of saidcore and forming an airgap therewith, a pivoted armature adapted to tiltinto said air gap, a targetmounted on said armature,

the center of gravityof said armature and target being above the pivotalsupport of said armature, and means for tilting said armature out ofsaid air gap.

5. A device of the type described which comprises, an electromagnet'having' a core,

a magnetic circuit from oneen'd of said core to a plate spaced from theopposite end of the core to form an'air gap ln'themagnetic circuittherebetween through which the un-.

divided flux'of said core passes, an armature pivoted to. swing intosaid gap, a target on said armature, and means for tilting. said;armature out of said gap.

e. A device of the type sea ed which;

comprises an electro-magnet, a corefor said electro-magnet, a frame towhich one end of 1 said core is-"secured,'jsaid frame extending aboutsaid electro-magnet to. overlap the opposite end of said electro-magnetand slightly spaced from said end to form a complete magnetic circuitwith said core, and having a short air gapv insaid circuit betweentheend, of said core and said frame, and a tiltable armature having aportion adapted to enter said air gap, and an indicator target on saidarmature. I

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

Lewissoarvnn; 4

